Shoe-cleaner.



- UNITED S11/Mtnsy OFFICE.

CHARLES G. STROMBECK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

sitos-CLEANER.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,201, dated April 21, 1903. applicati@ flied February 2, 190s. serial No. 141,550. --momaei To a/ZZ whom t may ooncerm- Be it known that LOHARLES G. STROMBECK, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe- Cleaners,of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in shoe-cleaners; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of partsmore fully set forth in the specification, and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showin g the application of my invention. Fig. 2 isa top plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section online 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an end view showing the sides, however, slightly vtilted outwardly.

The object of-my invention is to construct a shoe-cleaner which will simultaneously remove the dirt from-the sides aswell as the bottom of the shoe or boot, one containing a minimum number of parts, one which is simple and durable, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from a detailed description thereof, which is as fol` lows:

Referring tothe drawings, l represents a suitable base-plate havin g extensions l,adapt ed to be secured tothe floor. The top of said plate is provided with brushes 2 2, separated by a space 3, said spaceaccommodating a transversely-disposed` vcoiled spring 4, whose opposite ends are secured near the bases lof the lateralv hinged brushes 5 5, said brushes 5 5 being secured to the sides of the plate l by hinges 6. The brushes 5 '5 are; convex` inwardly, Haring outward. at either end, so as to gradually guide and'admit the shoe between them, Fig. l, the cleaning operation beginning the moment Vthe shoe is inserted, the said side brushes'spreading'or opening outward, Fig. 4, according to the width of the shoe inserted between them. i

It will be seen that I employ a single spring, and this is not only protected against damage by being depressed below the plane of the upper surfaces of the brushes 2 2, but connecting, as it does, both of the side brushes any change of tension in the spring will affect both brushes simultaneously, and the pressure of the latter against the shoe will be thesame on both sides of the shoe. This is impossible in constructions where the lateral rhinged `brush is'controlled eachbyfan independent spring, as it seldom happens that the tension of the two springs wouldbe the same. Reference to Figs. 1,3, 4 sh'ows,that-the :bristles of the brushes 5 5, though overlapping, yet clear' those of the brushes 2 2 in their oscillations, so that the efficacy of the brushes 2 2 is not in any wise impaired and any dirt that may lodge inthe space between opposite endsofthe springbeingcoupled to the hinged brushes, the bristlesif the latter overlapping theupper surfaces ofthe brushsections, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofl aftix'my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES e. s'rnoMnEcK.

Witnesses: A

EMIL STAREK, G. L. BELFRY. 

